Protector
by howl-of-fire
Summary: On his way to see one of Korra's pro-bending matches, Howl is lost in his memories and is attacked by Equalists seeking to kidnap him to get to Korra. So shows them why he's charged with protecting her. One-shot. Rated T for saftey


Howl really hoped he got that raise soon.

It was nightime in Republic City, and he was making his way down to the pro-bending arena to watch Korra, Mako, and Bolin's latest match. In truth it was the first match Howl himself would be able to attend. The first couple had conflicted with his patrol schedule on Air Temple Island. Having worked the nightshift for the last few weeks he had been forced to make several trips by the radio that the other White Lotus members would listen to outside on their breaks, while still appearing to actually look like he was still on patrol. A difficult feat but he really wanted to catch as much of those matches as he could, not just for Korra's sake, but because he actually wanted to hear them.

When he was a kid being a pro-bender was all he could think about. He had always been a very talented firebender, and an excellent learner. People had already started scouting him out as a potential team memeber at the age of eleven. His parents couldn't have been more proud of him when he started recieving offers to join more extravagent schools. Especially his father who was a decorated hero of the United Nations. He would brag to other soldiers about how his son could very well be the captain of his own team one day. His mother, while equally proud, often worried about his saftey and health since his training guaranteed that he came home with burns every other day. Of course there was his younger brother too, who also wanted to be a pro-bender and would constantly challenge him. And not just in bending matches, every thing became a challenge with him. Who could run faster, who could hold their breath the longest, even who could go to the bathroom fastest.

Back then he really had it made, a good future, a loving family, a stable home...

Of course everything changed after his house collapsed in an earthquake.

His parents, his brother and everything he had been blessed with had been cruelly taken from him. Howl himself had been outside practicing his firebending when the event occured. He remembered trying to improve his high kick when the ground shook beneath him and he suddenly lost balance. The last thing he saw before he woke up hours later was the image of the ground rushing up to meet him.

When he awoke he found a splintered pile of wood and stone in place of where his house once stood. He screamed for his mother and father, but they didn't answer. He wanted to believe that they were out of the house, that somehow they were safe. But he knew better. He knew that they were underneath the rubble of his former home.

He cried for the longest time. He cried for his father, he cried for his mother, he cried for his brother, he cried for help and he cried to the spirits. Pleading for them to return his only known family. But no one answered his pleas. His parents remained dead and he was left alone. Completly and utterly alone.

For the next few weeks he survived by sleeping in the forest and scavaging for food in trash cans. It was a terrible way to live but it was the only way he had for the time.

But fortune smiled upon him when over a week later he tried to steal from someone. He had grown tired of eating garbage and though he knew he was likely to fail he still felt the need to try if only to not have to risk puking up his breafast and have to eat MORE garbage to fill his newely emptied stomach.

Howl washed himself as best as he could in a river (to avoid looking and smelling like a thief, which of course he was but he didn't want to alert any would be victims of that) and entered the marketplace where there were many people walking about.

He remembered struggling with his own guilt as to what he was about to do before he swallowed it and started trailing an old man in his mid to late fifties. At the time he had mistaken the saphire blue cloak the man wore as a sign of wealth. Of course he now knew it was the same cloak that all White Lotus members wore. If he had seen the old man from the front perhaps Howl would have noticed the armor he wore and known better than to try to steal from him, but alas he didn't and when the old man turned into an alleyway he noticed that he couldn't find his target anymore.

The old man had ducked behind a SECOND alleyway as he turned the corner and came back around again blocking off Howl's only means of escape. The old man looked down at him with a stern glare and demanded to know why Howl was following him.

Howl, panicking that he had been caught just straight out told him that he was going to mug the man, and charged with fists full of fire, intending to at least intimidate his opponent enough into running away. But he did not run, and instead knocked Howls feet out from under him and grabbed his wrists before he hit the ground twisting them behind his back in a way that he couldn't use his firebending to attack.

Howl began to thrash around desprate to escape his captors grip and avoid being thrown in prison. But the old man did not let go, and suprisingly, did not turn him into the authorities. He instead asked Howl why he was trying to steal from him.

So Howl told him everything, hoping that he'd take pity on him and simply release him, maybe sparing a few coins out of pity. But he did more than just that. The man introduced himself as Jang, a Grand Lotus, a high ranking member of the Order, and offered Howl a place amongst their ranks.

Six years later here he stood in the streets of Republic City as a gaurdian of the Avatar, feeling a little jealous of said Avatar for being able to live the dream he had been denied, though also feeling happy for her for being able to do something she truly enjoyed, in the city she had always dreamed to visit.

Back to what he was originally complaining about though, Howl was making his way towards the pro-bending arena...on foot.

See originaly he had been riding a cab, but since he didn't have enough money to pay for the full drive there so he had to hoof it the remaining way. He also could have rode there with Korra on Naga when she had gone to get ready for the game, but his shift didn't end when she needed to go. Fortunatly he could still ride back with her so his poor feet wouldn't have to endure any more suffering after this.

What had he spent all of his money on? Books of course. When he was alone and had nothing to do books were what he turned to in order to entertain himself. He had bought alot of them recently and doing so left his wallet a little thin. If Korra hadn't have gotten his ticket in fact, Howl would have to dip into some of his other funds to pay for the ride AND the ticket.

Howl couldn't help but to smile as he thought back to when he told Korra he'd be able to sit in on her latest match. Her cyan eyes lit up and her lovely pink lips turned upward into an adorable smile. She started gushing about how excited she was and promised to make his time worth it. He laughed when she told him that last part and simply said: "Korra any amount of time spent with you, regardless how long or short, is time well spent."

Howl was rewarded with his complement when Korra blushed with pleasure. What was she thinking when she did that? What was she feeling? Was it love? The same kind of love he felt for her? The kind of love that occupied his every thought in some way or form?

He sincerly wished he knew. Howl had been close friends with Korra for a very long time, though he couldn't remember the first time he started feeling this way about her, maybe he always had and just didn't realize it. Regardless he loved her, and while he wasn't sure if Korra returned his feelings, that was okay. It wasn't like he could STOP loving her regardless.

But sometimes he could swear that when he looked at her he saw the same look in her eyes that he had whenever she entered his thoughts. It even seemed that she was doing so more and more as time went by...though maybe that was just wishful thinking.

For the last 10 minutes or so Howl's body had been on autopilot while he pondered his feelings for Korra. But he was snapped out of his dream when he stepped in a small puddle.

"Aw hell." He said as he tried to shake his leg free from as much water as he could. Thats when he saw the figures emerging from the shadows.

There were about eight of them with eight more appearing behind him, each wearing black and red uniforms. They all wore masks that covered their entire face, with glowing green lenses over their eyes. From that and their quick and and nearly unpredicatable movements, it wasn't hard to guess that his new "friends" were Equalists.

Howl kept calm and faced the closest one to him, which stood in the middle of the others. "Is there something I can help you with?" Howl said in an even tone.

"Perhaps there is." One of the Equalists responded. "You see, we know who you are Howl. We know who it is you've been assigned to protect. So Amon asked us to take you to him so the two of you could talk a bit about your work."

"It's for the good of the City, so it'd be appreciated if you came along willingly." Another Equalist said, this one female judging from her voice.

It only took Howl a few seconds to decipher the true meaning of their words.

"In other words, Amon wants to take away my bending to send a message to Korra." He said.

"Only if you don't co-operate with us. As long as you come along peacfully and answer any questions Amon might have, he said you could keep your bending." The middle one said.

"But of course if you give us any trouble..." The Equalist left the threat in the air, the implifications obvious.

Howl grit his teeth. They honestly expected him to come along quietly and betray secrets about Korra to save his bending? Not a chance in hell. Besides, he knew that Amon wouldn't let him keep his bending. He was a terrorist determined to rid the world of its "bender problem" no matter what.

Thinking about Korra and Amon brought him back into another of his memories, this one much darker than the last.

It had been many days since Korra joined Councilman Tarrlok's taskforce which had been assigned to stop the Equalist threat. Tarrlok had invited her to a party in HER honor to ensure that she would show, since NOT showing would make her look bad. Howl remembered that night very clearly not simply because of the events that occured, but because Korra had asked him to come along with her as her "date". He knew she probably didn't mean anything romantic by it but it still made him very happy that she'd want to go to a party with him. It was also that day that he met the daughter of the CEO and founder of Future Industries, Asami Sato. He was suprised to see Korra's teammates with Asami, until she explained that she invited them along. Howl also took note of the strange look on Korra's face when she saw Asami and Mako holding hands...Howl still wasn't sure what to think about that, mostly because he tried not too.

Then Tarrlok brought in reporters knowing that they would pressure her into answering why she wasn't a part of Tarrlok's taskforce. Howl had known of course, he had spent enough time with Korra that he could almost read her mind. Korra was afraid of Amon.

Amon had the ability to take away someone's ability to manipulate the elements, energybending was what it was called. Korra herself had nothing to her name but her ablity to bend and ever since she was four she had been training to become the Avatar, to be the savior of the world. But as of yet she couldn't connect to her spiritual side, that is to say that she couldn't contact any of her past lives, or enter the spirit world as the Avatar should. So if she ever lost her bending she would have nothing left, no reason to go on. And if that happned she was afraid people would stop needing her and thus abandon her.

Howl tried not to bring it up of course, he knew that it was painful for her to think about and when she was ready to talk about it she'd come to him.

Tarrlok must have known it too, because Howl could see the look in his eyes when those reporters started hounding her with questions. Eventually one of them straight out asked her if she was afraid. Of course Korra said that she wasn't and told everyone she'd join Tarrlok's taskforce. Because if she admitted to those reporters that she was afraid she would have to admit to herself that she was afraid.

He talked to Tenzin and other members of the Order about it but they said that there was nothing they could do about it since if she quit now she'd look bad and the Equalists might try to use that to their advantage.

Several grueling days of anxiety later, Howl had finally grown tired of sitting on his thumbs while she risked her safety and tried to talk about it with her, to convince her to quit the taskforce and stop putting herself in danger, but she denied that she was afraid of Amon or the Equalist and stormed off saying that she'd prove it when she stopped them before she even mastered airbending.

Later that afternoon Howl heard Korra on the radio passing by the White Lotus quarters on Air Temple Island, she had told Amon to meet her at the Aang Memorial Statue to fight one on one. For a few seconds Howl just stood there shocked. Korra wouldn't really try to face Amon on her own would she? But as much as he wished he could say otherwise, he knew that she would. She'd do it to finally prove to everyone that she wasn't afraid of the Equalists even if she really was, ESPECIALLY since she really was.

So Howl ran to the docks as fast as his legs could carry him, ignoring the voices of other White Lotus members in order to try and stop Korra before something happened to her. As his boat got closer and closer to the Aang Memorial Statue, Howl couldn't stop picturing all of the terrible, gruesome, and disguisting things the Equalists could do to her.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached the island. When he couldn't find her he took a flight of stairs leading underneath the statue, praying for her saftey all the while. But when he got down there he saw her lying on the floor.

For several terrifying moments his heart stopped beating and his blood ran cold. He ran to her calling out her name in a frenzied panic all the while. He was a few feet away from Korra when she opened her eyes and began to sit up.

Howl fell to his knees in relief and held Korra, holding her as tightly to his chest as he could.

Then he heard her start sobbing, her body shaking with fear and pain.

Through her tears she finnaly admited to being scared, terrified even, of Amon and what he could do. He told her about how helpless she felt when the Equalists surrounded her and Amon came so close to taking away her bending.

Never before had Howl felt such pain as he did in that moment, when he saw the girl he loved more than anything break down. It was like losing his family all over again. It ripped his heart it two to see her in such pain. Only the drive to comfort and protect her kept Howl together in that moment.

So he sat there holding her and whispering soft words of comfort to her, and all the while he made a promise to himself. He promised to protect Korra from Amon at any costs.

...and now Amon had sent his Equalists to collect him. To hurt Korra by hurting him. He thought of that cruel man, the white masked monster, and it made his blood boil and the air around him heat up as he clenched his fists together. The Equalists easily noticed the change in temperature caused by his barley controlled firebending and switched to their battle stances.

"I'm not coming with you, but you can send a message to Amon while you're here." And with that Howl released two jets of flame toward the ground, propelling him up and over his attackers, effectively preventing them from surrounding them. Then he lashed out with his firebending.

He punched and kicked with a suprising level of precision, aiming his attacks not just where they were but where they were going to be when they tried to evade his fireballs. In that first attack six equalists were defeated, and then the remaing ten regained their composure to began their counterattack.

Four Equalist hung back and threw bolases at him while the the rest charged him head on, using their comrade's ranged attacks to draw his attention long enough to get in close and use their chi-blocking. It worked for the most part because Howl was forced to shoot the bolases out of the air to avoid getting tangled up.

Once the Equalists were upon him Howl switched to close range attacks defeating another four Equalists before one of them got behind him and started blocking his chi nework. Fortunatly Howl managed to slam his elbow into that Equalist's face before his chi-blocking could completly block his enegry flow so that he could still move effectively though he couldn't prevent them from temporarily sealing his bending.

"Its over now, there is no way you could win without your fireben-" one of the enemies directly in front of Howl began, only to be cut off by a swift punch between the eyes.

"Do you really think I'd be incapable of fighting without my bending? Me? The Avatar's protector?" Howl growled at them. At this point the four equalists who had hung back joined the fray and now Howl was forced to fight off five attackers without his firebending, which put him at a severe disadvantage.

Though his attacks had enough force to knock out an opponent (if struck in the correct area), the Equalists had weaker but swifter strikes, and they had numbers on their side. Even so Howl fought, letting the pain and rage he felt when he found Korra underneath the Aang Memorial Statue fuel him. Her tears...her fear...the way those thoughts filled him he would have had enough emotional power to produce intense flames had his chi not been blocked.

Soon enough his enemies began to fall. One by one, Howl defeated them as he ducked, swerved and block their attacks and soon there was only one left.

The Equalists had managed to block off the chi flow in his right arm effectively paralyzing it, and beneath his clothes one would see a few bruises starting to form, but even so Howl was still far from losing. His remaining opponent knew it. If his allies had lost to him in a group of sixteen people, what hope did he have to win alone?

"It seems you've won boy, but we won't forget this, and neither will Amon...when the time comes you WILL be equalized." Then the masked figure pulled a smoke grenade out of his pocket and threw it at the ground.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!" Howl shouted and focused his mind, he focused on the singular thought of stopping his opponent and began to seperate the positive and negative energies in his body as Jang had taught him. He lifted his arms toward the smoke, brought his energies back together and focused the resulting burst of power through his arm and out his fingertips, shooting a bolt of lightning.

Howl smiled as he heard a pained yell signifiying that his attack had connected and stopped the Equalist before he escaped.

Howl started walking toward him once again, stepping in the very same puddle of water he had stepped in just before his attackers had arrived. The Equalist was groaning on the ground. With visible effort he managed to turn himself over to look at Howl.

"I see...I see your firebending has returned.." The Equalist wheezed "I suppose your going to kill me now aren't you? Take your revenge out on us...fine...I would expect no less from a bender anyhow." The Equalist spat out that last sentance with a great deal of menace.

"No...no, you'd like that wouldn't you? A member of the Order striking down one of Amon's lackies would look pretty good for you guys I'd imagine. But I'm not like you. I'm not going to strike you down just for my own satisfaction. Besides I still need you to give that message to Amon."

Howl got on one knee so that he could be at eye level with the Equalist and grabbed his collar.

"I want you to remember EXACTLY how badly I beat you and your men today, and I want you to tell your leader about it in great detail. Because if he's at all smart, then he'll realize that Korra isn't the one he should be afraid of. _Its me_." Howl paused allowing those words to sink in.

"And if Amon comes anywhere near Korra again...if he tries to hurt her in ANY way, whether thats by hurting her physicaly OR emotionally, then I will do to him what I did to you...and I can't entirely guarantee that I'll spare him."

"You wouldn't stand a chance against Amon." The Equalist said with wheezing laugh.

"That has yet to be seen." Howl responded coldly, and kicked him in the head before walking away.

As Howl walked away he shook his right arm making sure that he could function normally. Satisfied, Howl pulled out his pocket watch to check the time.

"Good, I can still make it in time." He murmered, and jogged off to the pro-bending arena, determined to not miss Korra's match completly unaware that the object of his vendetta was watching from the shadows...

"Should I persue him Amon?" The Equalist Lieutenant said, also emerging.

"No." Amon said. "Let him go for now...he will be equalized in due time...but right now it more important we get our men medical treatment before the Police stumbles across them."

"Yes sir." The Lieutenant said.

Amon took one more glance at the retreating figure of the boy who had defeated sixteen of his men. _So his name was Howl? I'll be sure to remember it._

A/N: So there you have it. I know there was a lot of flashbacks and internal dialouge but I wanted this story to be a little more emotional and I figured this would be the best way to convey that.

I've seen a few stories with Howl in them but few of them show Howl fighting, and none of them show him fighting Equalists, so I basicly just focused on how I thought Howl might have reacted to them and started working from there. Im sorry if his fight with the Equalists wasn't that great by the way.

Another thing you may have noticed was that Howl was present in certain scenes where he wasn't in that actually ocurred in the show. Like during the galla and under Aang Memorial Statue. Sorry if that put the story off for you in anyway, but to be fair its a story about a character invented by the Avatar fanbase, so of course things are gonna get changed up a bit.

Tell me what you think in a review or PM. Everything from praise to criticism would be welcome!

Thanks to my friend Inujake7 for re-editing the story.


End file.
